The present invention relates in general to the design of a centrifugal separator for oil as part of a vehicle lube system. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design of a centrifuge housing which incorporates an oil fill port, allowing oil to be added to the lube system by way of the oil fill port. This integral construction provides greater design efficiency and enables the option of incorporating other features. While the present invention is described in the context of a vehicle lube system, the same concept and structure is able to be used for the lube system of other equipment. In order to realize the benefits of the present invention, with such xe2x80x9cotherxe2x80x9d equipment, the centrifuge assembly should mount to the equipment and be constructed and arranged so as to drain directly to a sump.
Typically, in prior art engine designs utilizing a centrifuge, the centrifuge housing is positioned in a different location from the oil fill port of the engine and is spaced apart from the oil fill tube. As such, the engine must be designed first to accommodate the mounting of the centrifuge and secondly to provide space and the necessary structural compatibility and interface for the oil fill tube. These types of earlier designs represent a less efficient construction, as compared to the present invention, due to the need to provide a separate (and independent) path for the engine oil fill. With these prior art designs, engine or equipment space needs to be provided for this separate path as well as fluid couplings and these contribute to the overall inefficiency of the design.
Prior to the present invention, an attempt was made to overcome some of these centrifuge/engine inefficiencies by adding an oil fill tube (port) into a centrifuge housing. In this earlier design, the centrifuge housing is a drawn metal enclosure and, by means of a series of fabrication steps, a separate oil fill tube is attached to the housing. In order to fabricate this prior art design, the oil fill tube is provided as a separate component which is then welded to the centrifuge housing. In order to accommodate this combination, a clearance hole needs to be machined into the housing, and these machining and fabrication steps add to the cost and complexity of this prior art design.
The present invention provides a design improvement to this prior art centrifuge by integrating the oil fill port into the centrifuge housing as a unitary, injection molded, plastic component. Alternatively, the unitary centrifuge housing and integrated oil fill tube may be a metal casting according to the present invention. By locating the oil fill port at the top center location of the housing or optionally offset to one side, it is possible to simplify the mold design and simplify the fabrication of this unitary centrifuge housing/port combination and the corresponding centrifuge. The incorporation of the oil fill port in the manner described allows filling oil directly through the centrifuge housing in those applications where the centrifuge is engine (or equipment) mounted and where the centrifuge drains directly to sump. This integration of the two parts (housing and oil fill port) into one (unitary), molded plastic (or cast metal) unit eliminates the need for any secondary path for filling oil into the sump by way of a traditional port or fill path.
In order to simplify the fabrication steps and the mold design for this unitary combination, it is important to locate the longitudinal, centerline axis of the oil fill port coplanar with an axial, centerline plane of the centrifuge housing and to orient the longitudinal axis of the oil fill port parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The longitudinal (centerline) axis of the housing coincides with the axis of rotation for the centrifuge.
A centrifuge for processing a flow of oil according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a mounting base defining a drain passageway, a unitary housing connected to the mounting base and including a main body and an integral oil fill port, and centrifugal separation means for removing particulate matter from the flow of oil, the centrifugal separation means being positioned in and cooperating with the unitary housing.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved centrifuge for processing a flow of oil.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved unitary housing for a centrifuge which incorporates an integral oil fill port.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.